Horr, Elijah, House
Also known as: E side of NY 180, N of jct. with Woodard Rd., Hamlet of Ston
Why it's listed
Set well back from Route 180 in the hamlet of Stone Mills, this two-story limestone farmhouse was built around 1835 for Elijah Horr, a prosperous farmer who bought the land from John and Louisa LaFarge. Its five-bay, center-entrance front shows Federal style detailing, including an elliptical stone arch with a keystone, large quoins, and dressed lintels and sills laid in even courses. Inside, the original plan survives, with pine woodwork, paneled doors, an enclosed straight-run stair and fireplaces. A late-nineteenth century renovation added scalloped eave brackets, a new roof and two-over-two sash. Of the farm's 325 acres and its outbuildings, only a c.1870 hen house remains. The house was listed for its architecture, as a rare, well-preserved example of the region's early vernacular stone building tradition, and for its link to early settlement around the mills on the Chaumont River. Horr also helped pay for the Union Church and donated land for the Stone Mills Cemetery.
Significance in brief: The house is a distinguished example of early-nineteenth century vernacular stone architecture and craftsmanship, with fine quoins, lintels and sills, and it retains much of its original plan and woodwork. It is also tied to the settlement of Stone Mills, built by a prosperous farmer, Elijah Horr, on land bought from John and Louisa LaFarge in 1835.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000666, listed June 28, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E side of NY 180, N of jct. with Woodard Rd., Hamlet of Stone Mills, Orleans |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | June 28, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000666 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1835-c.1870 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as not in use; the form notes a sagging hen house, a collapsed barn (1994), and a late-nineteenth century renovation of the main house. |
| Acreage | 4.3 |
| Coordinates | 44.11353, -75.97422 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000666.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5360929
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.